ABOVE AND BEYOND

Often we hear about the bad interactions with a person in customer service. Sometimes there is rudeness or just "don't care" attitudes that leave a bad taste in our mouths.  I would like to relate just the opposite I ran in to recently.

As I previously stated, my new dog Callie has bladder stones and will most likely require a lifetime of special care, foods, medicines and possible surgeries. Thus I am on the look out for ways to help her.

I read some promising things on the Internet about cranberry supplements for dogs. Because of her vulva defect, she is prone to constant urinary tract infections which is one cause of stones.  Surgery on her defect will maybe cure that but I was looking for a more benign method. Cranberries will not cure a UTI but can help prevent them in dogs the same as they do in humans.

So I went to a town over 60 miles away for better shopping options.  Petco which was my primary destination did not have what I wanted which was a big disappointment. I was looking for a cranberry food additive but it was not to be.

Then I tried a smaller pet store not far from there and was surprised to see what I wanted right on the shelf. This store is much smaller than Petco but somehow, they usually have that special thing I am looking for and have driven miles to find.

I was reading the ingredient list as I approached the counter to buy it when one popped out at me that was a no-no. One of the  inactive ingredients was milk solids for flavor.  My vet told me to avoid calcium at all costs. I even have to buy Callie distilled water as our water is full of calcium.

I was puzzling over just how much calcium was in the preparation when the owner asked me what was wrong.  Explaining my problem I am certain most would just shrug their shoulders and let me make the decision.  This lady did not shrug, instead she offered to call the manufacturer to find out the percentage of calcium. Above and beyond.

As I was not local this was a big help.  She did make the call and the manufacturers said the amount was small but that they did have a similar product that did not have calcium in it.

The lady then smiled and handed the phone to me.  It seems the manufacturer wanted to send me a sample of the calcium free product.  Delighted, I gave them my mailing information.

This quickly arrived in the mail. It was not a sample but a full months supply of 65 soft chews.

 

Callie loves them and I just hope they work as advertised.  They can possibly save her a complex surgery.

The fact that this store owner went the extra steps for me with little chance of my becoming a regular customer since I am not local, showed me a lot.  Though I am rarely in that town, whenever I am from now on, theirs is the first store I will shop for pet things.

If you are ever in Mountain Home Ar. and need pet supplies, check out All Pet and Equine Supply in the strip mall between Walmart and the bypass. They are a real class act that consistently put customer service first. This was not the first time they have stepped up for me.   Such a breath of fresh air.

Have you ever had one person sell you on a whole store?

Callie update.  She seems to be feeling fine and in a few weeks we will have the bladder X-rayed once more to see if the stones have dissolved.  She is frisky, full of pep and impresses me every day with her above average smarts.